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'39
"'39" was May's attempt to do "sci-fi skiffle". "'39" relates the tale of a group of space explorers who embark on what is, from their perspective, a year-long voyage. Upon their return, however, they realize that a hundred years have passed, because of the time dilation effect in Einstein's special theory of relativity, and the loved ones they left behind are now all dead or aged. May sings the song on the album, with backing vocals by Mercury and Taylor. During live performances, Mercury sang the lead vocal. May had asked bassist John Deacon to play double bass as a joke but a couple of days later he found Deacon in the studio with the instrument, and he had already learned to play it. Since Queen had named their albums A Night at the Opera and A Day at the Races after two of the Marx Brothers' most popular films, surviving brother Groucho Marx invited Queen to visit him at his Los Angeles home in March 1977 (five months before he died). The band thanked him and performed "'39" a cappella. George Michael performed "'39" at the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert in April 1992. Michael cited this song as his favorite Queen song, claiming he used to busk it on the London Underground. Recently, Queen have included the song on the setlists of their recent tours with Adam Lambert 20 and before Adam with Paul Rodgers; for all these tours since 2005 it is sung as it is on the album by May. Lyrics 'In the year of thirty-nine' Assembled here the volunteers In the days when lands were few Here the ship sailed out into the blue and sunny morn The sweetest sight ever seen And the night followed day And the story tellers say That the score brave souls inside For many a lonely day Sailed across the milky seas Never looked back never feared never cried Don't you hear my call Though you're many years away Don't you hear me calling you Write your letters in the sand For the day I take your hand In the land that our grand-children knew 'In the year of thirty-nine' Came a ship from the blue The volunteers came home that day And they bring good news Of a world so newly born Though their hearts so heavily weigh For the earth is old and grey Little darlin' we'll away But my love this cannot be Oh so many years have gone Though I'm older than a year Your mothers eyes from your eyes cry to me Don't you hear my call Though you're many years away Don't you hear me calling you Write your letters in the sand For the day I'll take your hand In the land that our grand-children knew Don't you hear my call Though you're many years away Don't you hear me calling you All your letters in the sand cannot heal me like your hand For my life still ahead pity me Category:Songs Category:A Night At The Opera